Breaking from the Lab
by Captain Vox
Summary: changed slightly, due to direction Following "Lost in my Own Lab", Abby really needs to talk to Gibbs about that night in the lab but complications keep putting it off. How long before she snaps? Abby X Gibbs
1. Chapter 1

((Sorry this is so short, I just wanted to get something started for Gabby after getting good reviews on the first one. My next posts will be much longer. Thanks to all those who said to continue this. Hope it turns out good!))

It had been a week since the encounter in the lab and Abby still wasn't sure she could get her head wrapped around it all. Fortunately, it had been a slow week. That meant she'd been able to at least calm down about the most recent case where Tony, low and behold, had gotten himself hurt. "It's always Tony," Abby mused out loud and tapped a black painted fingernail on her mouse. Swirling the thing around and watching the white pointer spin circles on her desktop, Abby heaved a sigh. She really should go talk to Gibbs. They couldn't leave this heaviness just hanging in the air. The team was noticing something was wrong.

Pushing back from the table, she spun the chair around and hopped down walking towards the elevator. When it "dinged" and opened up in front of her he was standing there. His gray eyes looked peculiarly bright today and his silver hair was cropped short in a new hair cut. He looked good in those black dress slacks and white button up. Why he wasn't wearing the over jacket anymore had Abby's thoughts going off again. Refocusing at Jethro clearing his throat, Abby smiled brightly. "You're just who I was-"

Ducky came through the stairwell and into the office with a folder in hand. "Ah, Jethro. I was looking for you. I looked over that case file from the deceased medical examiner. I think you are. Oh, do you know when the first medical examiner was used? You see it's very interesting…"

Gibbs grabbed the case file with a smile. "Some other time, Duck. We've got another scene." He looked to Abby and his smile changed. It smoothed out to gentler and softer smile than he normally gave.

"Oh, yes of course, Gibbs." Ducky kept rambling on though, about the first medical examiner and the details of the case involved.

"Here Abbs, you're going to need this."Jethro pulled his other hand from behind his back and gave her a Caf-Pow with a C.D. on top of it.

"Je- uh, Gibbs, you sly dog. Can't you just ever bring me a gift and skip the work?" she asked bounding off towards her computer with Caf-Pow in one hand and C.D. in the other.

She heard the older man chuckle but didn't turn around. The door closing announced Ducky's leaving probably to get the medical bag and Palmer all set to go. Feeling hot breath on her neck, Abby paused, realizing Jethro was now standing looking over her shoulder. "Thought I did that at the beginning of the week," he breathed into her ear sending shivers through her.

"Jethro! I thought we decided not to talk about that." Abby turned her head slightly so she could level a glare at him. As much as she felt it needed to be talked about, she couldn't pluck up enough courage to actually do it. She really hoped he would bring it up first.

" 'bout what Abby? I don't know what you're talking about." He grinned and watched her pop in the disk. "I need that cleaned up. It's the ransom note a Marine got just before a small explosion hit one end of his house.

Abby looked at the computer screen and nodded. "And I thought you were going to ask me to do something hard." She smiled clicking buttons and hitting keys.

"To me, it is." Gibbs laughed and patted her lower back. "Check in with me when you've got something." He landed a soft peck on her cheek then headed for the elevator again. There was something in the way he walked away from her, something almost reluctant. How she wished what she thought she was seeing was real. It was just slightly crazy to think of Gibbs breaking any of his rules, even after saying he was allowed to.

Abby turned around and started work on her computer wanting to find something just so she could have an excuse to talk to Gibbs again. "Come on, boys. We've got work to do," she said to her computers.


	2. Chapter 2

(So I've decided that with this one, the focus is more on their relationship then on the facts and situations of the case itself. And thanks to those who review and favorite :] And, FYI, in this Fic I'm taking out the idea at the end of "Lost in My Own Lab" where she goes home with Gibbs. They had sex in her lab but went home separately.)

(Oh and random side note…I'm totally listening to Ke$ha's "take it off" while writing this…I know, not the best song but…I'm in a weird mood.)

Abby was shutting down her equipment in the basement when the ding of the elevator let her know someone was invading her space. Hitting the off button to her personal computer she listened for a greeting and received none. Turning she ran into Gibbs and gasped. "We have to stop meeting like this Jethro." She straightened herself up and took a step back to make some space, feeling Gibbs' arms slip away from her where they'd been sitting a moment ago.

"I just came down to say you're right. I think we should talk." Gibbs' face was stoic but his intense gray eyes rooted Abby to the spot. He watched while she played with the edges of her gloves and images of their night down in the lab flooded back. Those gloves felt amazing on his bare skin. "Why don't you come to my place tonight, hmm Abbs?" He upturned a smile to her, fishing in his pocket for his keys. "I'll drive."

Abby cocked a hip out to one side and gawked momentarily. "After what the boys have said about your driving, I have to question your motives here. Do you want to talk or kill me?" she asked returning his smile.

Jethro grinned. "You really believe everything Tony says?" he asked, placing a large hand on her hip and nudging her to walk beside him towards the elevator.

She had half a mind to fight him and take a strong womanly stance but his warm hand felt so good, walking next to him made her feel like she had a strong place in his life, and that overrode her thoughts of flight. Abby allowed Gibbs to walk her into the elevator and she may have even leaned into him, making his arm slip around her waist.

Gibbs smiled as he pulled her close to him once they were tucked away behind metal doors. He hit the button to the first floor, deliberately drawing even closer to her. Their breath mixed and lips quickly met in a crushing kiss. Abby felt herself wrapped into Jethro's arms in a tight embrace that had her being pulled up to her toes. Her arms were pressed up against his chest between the two of them, gripping at his shirt and keeping them together.

He watched with half-mast eyelids as Abby's slid completely closed. Gibbs could feel her chest rising and falling faster with her compromised breathing. He loved the taste of her and was not ready to pull back just yet, even to let her catch her breath. Pressing his tongue against her lips he tasted her black lip-stick which oddly wasn't so bad. It had a sourness that mingled with her sweet breath like candy. The feel of her under his hands was bliss. He knew they needed to talk but he couldn't help but have her close to him again.

The ding of the elevator had Gibbs near the point of cursing. Reluctantly he let her slowly go, easing her back down to flat feet. They passed small knowing smiles as they stepped off, Abby slightly before Jethro, and headed for the parking garage exit. The drive was fairly long as Gibbs lived a way from work. Abby climbed out of the car and looked at his house. She was sure if any neighbors were watching they would find it more than odd that a young Goth woman was about to head into Leroy Jethro Gibbs' house. For goodness sake, she wasn't even a redhead.

Hell must be freezing over right this moment.

Jethro led her up the steps of his porch and inside, holding the door for her. He didn't seem to be thinking about the same thing as Abby, or at least he didn't care if anyone did happen to see them together late at night.

Stepping into the house Abby had to resist stopping and gawking. It was so plain, so white and wooden, so…anally Gibbs. "Mm, I suppose there is more room here than in my place." She turned to flash him an impish grin.

He gently shook his head and smiled back, laying a hand on her shoulder and nodding towards his living room. Again, it was plain and sterile looking. Abby was going to have to fix this feng shui problem.

The two of them sat down on the same couch, Gibbs lounging against the arm of the couch with one leg stretched down its length and Abby pressed against his chest, boots kicked off and resting on the floor. "You know, the very position on your couch is answering a lot about what I wanted to talk about." Abby looked up at him from her curled, girly position.

Gibbs raised his eyebrows as he looked down at her, hands wrapping about her medium frame. "Good, I was hoping that this wouldn't be overly complicated. I'm not that good with conversation about myself."

"Mhm, I think everyone who knows you knows that about you," Abby said kissing his jawline. "Then, how are we going to go about this, Jethro? I have no plans on letting you go now that I have you in my grasp." 

(( OH! And my brain was apparently trying to get me to get them to do the school girl kink in the short clip of them in the lab [the fic this is following after] because I re-read it and found that I described his hands as course instead of coarse and his body as taught instead of taut….love the school innuendoes my brain came up with.

And again, thanks for reading! -Capt. Vox))


	3. Chapter 3

_(("This is where you come when you want some Mancake with your coffee..." ____Said about Gibbs on a random internet site :D ))_

Abby and Gibbs were down in her lab early the next morning before everyone else. She was turning on her machines and Gibbs was sitting on her rolling chair sipping his coffee. "Abbs," he said when she picked up a Caf-Pow from the lab fridge. "How can you drink that so early?"

The Goth Scientist raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "How can you drink that sludge ever?" she shot back and trounced over, landing a peck of a kiss on Jethro's cheek.

"Mm," he murmured and pulled her onto his lap taking a bigger kiss than she'd offered. Abby laughed against his lips and kissed down his neck, burying her lips into the warmness of his skin. His cologne washed over her senses and she had a sudden thought.

"Oh yeah, I need to change," she said looking down at the clothes she'd worn yesterday. She'd at least showered…and now smelled of Jethro's shampoo and old spice body-wash. Sliding off of Gibbs' lap, Abby headed for the little side closet where she kept extra necessities for occasions just like, well sort of like, this one. Undressing down to panties and a bra, she pulled out a black pleated skirt and deep crimson t-shirt with a black heart with voodoo needles sticking out of it. She stuffed her feet back into the platform boots and turned back around. Gibbs had watched her the whole time, still just sipping at his coffee.

"That tattoo on your back is still one of my favorites," he said with a smile.

"Ooh, well thank you Jethro!" she said walking back over and leaning down to kiss his neck. Just as she pulled up away from him, the lab-to-lab phone rang and Ducky showed up on the screen. Abby turned away to turn on another machine to hide her blush at the near catch-in-smooching-the-boss.

Ducky bulked briefly at seeing Gibbs down there but smiled. "Oh, hello Jethro. I was just going to ask Abby if she'd seen you as of yet. It's very good that I've caught you. Would you mind coming to my lab? I have looked back over my notes and found an obscurity in the blow to the head. This may not be as simple as we thought. I know you were supposed to bring in your suspect today but, you should look at this first."

"I'll be right there, Duck." Gibbs turned to Abby again, giving her an apologetic smile. "Lunch, Abbs?" he asked backing up towards the sliding doors.

She nodded, taking the seat Gibbs had once occupied. "Yeah, my choice?" she asked with an innocent smile.

"'Course," he said and walked out, turning around and heading up the stairs.

Gibbs sat at his desk flipping through the papers of the case and listening to his team chatter, argue and joke around. "Tony, what do you got for me?" he spoke up wanting to get this out of the way before Abby came up for lunch.

Tony's head snapped up and he stood, groping for a paper. "Wha- I um, the girlfriend was home with her ex, or not so ex. I should probably go talk to her and figure out the details on everything, you know, in case her ex had something to do with it." His wide grin cracked over his face and Gibbs shook his head.

Ziva stood up, walking to stand next to Tony and shared the info she had. "So, there is no point in Tony interrogating the wife." She looked at Gibbs and tilted her head to one side. "Uh, Gibbs…you have something black on your collar."

Tony and McGee looked at his shirt and both raised their eyebrows in questioning looks. "Is that…?" Tony didn't seem to want to finish that thought.

The elevator opened and a few seconds later Abby came around the corner of the desks. Gibbs stood up to meet her and lifted his arm just in time for her to take it. Her lips were painted in black lipstick and she gave him a peck on his cheek. "Ready?" she asked tugging him away from the group.

"Find me something to work with when I get back," he said and walked with Abby towards the elevator.

The group gawked after them. "They aren't doing what I, um, think they are….are they?" McGee asked scratching his head and staring at the closed elevator doors.

Tony clapped him on the back making him stumble slightly, "I think they are Probie. And good for him, maybe now Gibbs will be in a better mood."

"Ha, only to Abby as she is the one he is sleeping with," Ziva said sinking back into her seat to find something that would keep Gibbs from being cranky towards her. "Is there a term for him long term anger?" she asked aloud.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at Ziva as he took his seat too. "I would think you would know," he said and ducked as something came flying at him. "Point. Proven."

Timothy laughed and turned his attention to his computer. There had to be something there that would keep him in good graces. He certainly wasn't going to put out.


	4. Chapter 4

Abby was back sitting in her lab, stomach filled to a happy capacity and thoughts jumbled. She had brought them up again now that sex wasn't the overriding thought but somehow the case had swept that aside. Gibbs had told her the night before that he wasn't one for talking about himself. Maybe this is why his marriages had failed- he refused to talk. She sighed and rested back in her swirly chair, moving the mouse around the screen and working her way through another level on WoW. It wasn't something she normally took part in but she had a running bet with McGee that she could get to a higher level than him in a shorter amount of time than he'd taken. So far it was looking fairly positive.

Then someone drove a sword through her character.

"Dang it," she growled, chewing her bottom lip. She was very distracted by Gibbs' lack of wanting to talk.

Shutting the game off, Abby headed over to the machine that was still whirring and working it's magic. Her fists were planted firmly on her hips as she stared at it, waiting for it to spit back results at her. "Come on, baby, talk to me." She was still staring at it when she heard the doors open with a _swish._ She didn't look over, she just listened. "Hey Tony, McGee."

"How _do_ you do that, Abby?" Tony sauntered over and stared down at the machine she was glaring at. "Should I give it a good kick?"

Abby threw out a hand, slapping Tony's chest. "Absolutely not. They need love, Tony, they don't need you haphazardly poking at them."

"Kick, not poke," Tony grinned and moved away, hands tucked in his pockets. "So… what is Gibbs like in bed?"

Timothy looked over at his senior agent with wide, "what the hell are you doing" eyes. Tony had said he would do this, Timothy had pleaded with him not to, and when Tony said he wouldn't Timmy had blindly believed him. Tony just gave him a wink.

Abby looked over at Tony, then to a petrified looking Timmy, and back at Tony. "You'd really like to know, wouldn't you? It's too bad I'm not going to tell you."

"Actually, I'd rather know how you are but I don't think Gibbs would be up for answering that." Tony rubbed the back of his head. "I might get another head-slap. I swear one day I'm going to end up with permanent damage."

"One day?" Abby crooked her eyebrows up suggestively and laughed. "Oh!" she spun around excitedly when the machine popped out a few beeps letting her know that something was found. She ran over to it and heard the doors open again. "Gibbs, I have the results on that dirt sample." She snatched the sheet and turned around holding it out towards where she figured he'd be.

Gibbs stood a few feet away with a half smile and a large cup of Caf-Pow. "You think I'll know what that paper is saying?" he asked squinting at it.

"I could get your glasses, boss." Tony piped up from where he stood next to McGee.

Gibbs shot Tony that look; the one that spoke of death. "It's not about the glasses, DiNozzo." He watched Tony back down and Gibbs hid a smile at seeing Tony grin like a young boy who'd gotten out of trouble.

Abby watched patiently, rocking in her large platform shoes. It seemed there would be no time to talk to Gibbs today. This case was getting more and more intense and her lab was starting to fill to capacity. Shoving down the need to actually communicate, Abby pulled the paper back and explained its significance to the men before her, keeping her eyes on it and not the berating looks of Tony or the soft eyes of Gibbs or the pity in Timmy's eyes. For today, she'd have to consume herself in her work.

AFTER HOURS

Abby stood in the lobby of the bullpen, watching Gibbs tuck some papers in a manila folder and stick it in a drawer. He was cleaning up for the day and the others had already vanished. "Jethro," Abby said softly walking over to stand before his desk.

"Hmm?" Gibbs looked up and smiled at her. He stood, shutting the drawer and giving her his full attention.

The Goth girl blushed a little at the thought and looked down at her feet. "Would you like to come back to my place tonight?" she asked hoping he'd actually agree. "You know I have a bed, too. A real one…"

With a long moment of silence, Abby looked up expecting rejection. Gibbs had a huge grin on his face. "Yeah Abbs, we can go to your place. Let me just finish packing up here, alright?"

Abby smiled and nodded. Looking to the side of Gibbs desk she saw Ziva's empty seat and promptly stuck her rear end in the chair, spinning it around a little and checking out the bullpen. Sure she'd been in the section of the building quite a few times but she hadn't really worked in this place. It was like visiting a neighbor while her home resided in the lab. Sometimes she envied the team, the closeness they could share in the field and here together. They came to see her, she knew that, but sometimes she just wanted more interaction than the sporadic visits she found in the lab. It was something she was dealing with and part of what needed to be talked about with Gibbs. She hoped her attraction and attachment to him wasn't because of this driving need for more connection with the team. As far as she could tell her feelings, and his, were real. It was more than her petty work issues but they did go together. _Please, let us talk tonight…_

"Ready," Gibbs said stuffing his keys into his pants' pockets. He moved over to hold out his elbow for Abby to grab onto so he could walk her out.

Abby smiled and looped her arm with his. They'd already discussed _not_ talking about what was happening, just going with it, but Abby was a needy woman. She'd just have to warm him up first then spring the conversation on him. It needed to happen or she was going to be paying a visit to the insane asylum.

SAME TIME

Ziva stopped on the stairs and stood as quietly as she could. Gibbs was at his desk and Abby was standing a bit off, chewing her lip and looking like she was about to say something. Slowly, Ziva pulled back into the shadows of the upper floor and watched. She knew she shouldn't be doing this but her feminine curiosity did pop up every now and again, normally when others wouldn't know about it.

The interaction between the lab-girl and boss was soft, light and pulled out a side of Gibbs that was definitely tendered only for Abby. Not many got to see this side of Gibbs, and never directed to them, so Ziva was transfixed watching them. It was certainly interesting. It was sweet. It reminded Ziva how much of a girl she could really be.

Watching them walk away, arm in arm, Ziva felt a pang in her chest. She smiled sadly, happy for the two and jealous. Her eyes traversed the bullpen to Tony's desk. He'd left a coffee cup on it. Again. She'd have to go pick it up for him.


	5. Chapter 5

Abby led Gibbs into her apartment and dropped her bag on the side table by the door. She had a smile on her face as they walked further into the space she called home. The living room was the first place to enter and there sat the infamous coffin, neatly decorated like a coffee table instead of the "bed" Tony loved to make it out to be. Sure, the implications of getting the coffin had firstly made a bed, but that didn't mean that was actually what she ended up using it for. Alright, there had been a few months where she'd slept in it and a few boyfriends had really been into it, but after a while the flat hardness of a coffin did not so fun things to a back. She'd had to give up the coffin for a bed with an actual mattress and some comfortable support.

She watched Gibbs pause for a moment and stare at the coffin-coffee table. "I thought you slept in that, Abbs, not drink your tea on it."

Abby laughed and shook her head. "It was a bed for a while…" The way her hands went to her lower back and rubbed let him know the back story on that. "So, make yourself at home. I'm going to get into something more comfortable."

The Goth woman didn't make it very far. The grip of a former marine's hand on her wrist, tugging her back, kept her from getting to her bedroom and pajamas. "Mm, stay here Abby." He moved backwards, sunk onto the couch and placed her rear end on the coffin so that they were looking at one another.

She looked into his eyes, admiring the flecks of color in them and the depths of knowledge. Gibbs was an amazingly smart man, though he would never understand the "geek speak" of her computer world. There was much more that he knew that Abby would never herself learn. That made them a good pair, the separate yet equal genius, didn't it? "Gibbs, I know you don't like to talk about things but-"

"Jethro," he interrupted, hands on Abby's thighs and eyes staring intently back into hers.

Abby sighed and rolled her eyes. "Jethro, we need to talk." She stared back at him with those big sad eyes she gets when she's impatient or hopeful. "I know we sort of came to a conclusion at your place but I need it to be spoken and laid out there, okay?"

Gibbs nodded and shifted a little closer to her. "Abby Sciuto," he smiled and lifted his hands from her legs to speak to her in their private finger-language. "I love you and want you," he signed to her then spoke up once more. "Can I make it any clearer than that?"

A large grin spread across Abby's face. "Nope, I guess not. But what does this mean? We completely break your rule and don't try to hide it?"

"I'm not worried about hiding it. The rules are mine to break, remember?" He shifted backwards to lean further into the couch as he thought about all of the complications he was about to dive into. "It's a relationship Abby. Hopefully I'll do better in this one than the last ones."

Abby laughed. "Well, I'm not a red-head for one. That will help." She laughed along with Jethro and leaned back onto her hands, splaying over the coffin with a side grin and drooping piggy tails.

Reaching across the space between them, Gibbs laid his hand on her pale cheek and brushed his thumb across her chin, her lips and her cheekbone. Pushing off of the couch, he leaned in and replaced his finger with his lips, mapping out every inch of her beautifully pale face with them. She felt right to him, a new adventure that he could not resist.

Abby smiled as her breath poured from her in a heated desire. "Jethro…" she breathed out and lay fully back on the coffin, length wise. Her piggy tails draped over the edge and her hands threaded through Gibbs' hair in tangled tugs.

Grasping at the belt of cross bones, Gibbs de-skirted her with a quick yank and pull. He slowly ran his hand back up the length of her leg and continued to trail kisses along her neck. The ex-Marine took in a deep drag of breath as he felt her little hands nimbly flicking open the buttons on his shirt. It fluttered to the ground and he felt those fingers move from the cloth of his discarded shirt to his warm skin. They moved over the smooth muscle, kept toned from the job, and he could see her eyes following the trail of her fingertips. His skin shuddered in delight as flecks of fiery heat moved through him.

Abby wrapped her legs around Gibbs' hips, pulling his body down tight to hers. She used the opportunity of closeness to nip at his ear lobe and whisper to him, soft cooing words edging him further. "I want to feel you, Jethro. Closer." Her tongue traveled over the twisting curve of his neck and down to the little hollow section at the juncture of his collarbones. She breathed out long and slow, allowing her breath to dry the wet-licked trail she'd just made. The fluttering of Jethro's muscles made her hips squirm and press upwards with desire.

The sound that escaped Gibbs' throat was a mixture of a satisfied purr and hungry growl. His eyes grew intense as he looked down at the beautiful Goth underneath of him. Setting a firm hand on her hip he pushed her downward, away from his hips and yanked at his button and zipper. Pulling upwards and leaving Abby lying alone, Jethro looked down at her and smiled. He reached out and slipped his fingers under the hem of her black t-shirt. His rough fingers moved over her silky, very pale, skin as he eased the t-shirt off of her. As it moved over the full mound of breasts he found she was not wearing a bra. His gaze glided over her body as he stood back, shirt dangling from his fingers. Letting it drop he smiled.

Abby was in nothing but her tall combat boots, the black laces keeping the shiny leather tight to her legs. She had one tossed over the other, the juncture between her legs a dark shadow of skin and a tight trim of curled black hairs. Her stomach was slightly rounded but taut and led up to a wonderful swell of porcelain breasts. Her black hair, parted in two, spread around her shoulders on the coffin like a dark halo. Abby was his dark angel to protect now, to love, and he was going to prove that to her tonight.

Moving forward, Gibbs eased up between her legs, booted feet dangling over the edge of the coffin. He pushed her legs gently apart, revealing her to himself. His hands started at her ankles and moved over the leather, on up to the soft, warm skin of her thighs. They parted gliding over her hips and came to rest at the top of her hip bones. He knelt down watching her face. She was flushed, slightly panting with anticipation, and her eyes were heavy with heady lust. "Abby, you're absolutely beautiful," he breathed out across the skin of her inner thighs. He watched the muscles there tense and a smile washed over his face. Holding her hips tight he kissed his way to the warm juncture of her hips. Delving his tongue into the velvet wetness that sat there he listened to her gasps and moans for direction. His tongue swirled over her and inside. The five o'clock shadow that graced Gibbs' face brushed along her thighs. His fingers kneaded into thigh and a thumb danced over her sensitive mound, landing finally on the knot of nerves that sent her over the edge. Jethro was throbbing hard at the sound of Abby crying out in ecstasy.

He slowly moved up her body, leading the way with soft pecks of his lips on her skin. Her breathing was heavy, her fingers tight on the edges of the coffin. Nestling his hips between hers, Jethro felt Abby wrap her legs around him. She looked into his eyes when he was close enough and smiled. "Kiss me," she breathed out watching his lips now.

Dipping his head down, Jethro obliged the woman's wishes. Her petite warm tongue found its way in between his lips and across his own, lilting in a little dance. Her legs tightened and pulled his hard length against the hot slicked folds of her sex. He groaned into her mouth and shifted enough to glide inside of her. He pressed close to her, holding still inside of her for a long moment. The connection was erotic; no movement was needed. This closeness was enjoyable, warm, comforting. He kissed her deeper, both of their eyes open and gazing into one another's. He felt her nails at his bare shoulders after another moment's pause and he cringed a little before rocking his hips back and forth in a slow, steady motion. Abby matched his pace and they drifted into oblivion, wrapped in each other.


	6. Chapter 6

(So I re-read this and figured this short will finish this fic up. I do plan on working out another good Gabby fic for those of you who wanted more with this one. Thanks for the reviews, favs and followings! –Vox)

Abby stood at the top of the stairs to Gibbs' basement. Images of Gibbs' looming over her from the other night at her place sat heavily in her mind. The two days after that had been perfect; one had been spent finishing up the latest case. The second had been the two of them out on the town all day and winding up at Jethro's by that night. So, this morning she was standing at the top of the basement stairs in one of Jethro's NCIS t-shirts, the hem hanging just over the rounding of her bottom. Her black panties shown in flashes each time she took a step. She felt beautiful.

Starting down the stairs she parked it halfway and found that the boat was missing. Funny, she'd thought she'd noticed it down here the day before. "Jethro…where's the boat?" she asked folding her arms around herself.

"I didn't need it anymore." He looked over at her from his workbench as he sat the last of the tools into the toolbox, finely polished. He tossed the brown stained red cloth onto the tabletop and smiled at Abby. "I was thinking, we have an two hours before we should head into work. Want me to make breakfast?" he asked standing and heading over towards the stairs.

Abby watched him with a smile and nodded. "I didn't know you knew how to cook, Jethro."

Gibbs scoffed. "Abbs, I'm a product of divorce…some habits were forced after losing so many wives."

Grabbing a hold of Gibbs' arm as he started up the stairs with her, Abby turned a hard look at him. "You won't break your promise if this gets serious, will you?" she asked with a glint of mischief in her eyes.

A frown grew over Jethero's face as he looked at her for some explanation. "What do you mean?"

"Don't ask me to marry you. I know your record with wives and I think we'll work out just fine if you stay in your place, I stay in mine and we keep out of that marriage game." The two of them made their way into the kitchen, Abby her normal chipper self despite how late they'd stayed up.

Gibbs was surprised he felt as good as he did. Letting out a thick roll of laughter from Abby's request, he nodded. "Yeah, good idea. Besides, I've had enough of marriage for two lifetimes." He moved further into the kitchen, dropping his arm from Abby so he could maneuver cooking a lot easier.

"Good." Abby took a perch on the counter top, away from the stove where she figured she'd be mostly out of the way. She watched Gibbs move around with practiced expertise. He gathered eggs, bacon, bread, milk- everything to make up a delicious home cooked breakfast.

The sizzling of eggs and bacon on the stove top and the sweetness of toasting bread washed over Abby's senses. It soothed her and eased her into thoughts. She only half realized she was voicing them aloud. "I'm jealous sometimes, you know. Of the team. I mean, I know I do my part in the lab…but I'm just a visitor upstairs." She shook her head and looked down. "I feel trapped sometimes. I can't help you guys out. Of course, I'd probably just freak out if I had to deal with everything you guys do." The silence that met Abby made her realize she was starting to ramble but couldn't seem to stop herself. "I mean, I have my lab. You guys see me, visit me I guess. I worry about everyone, but I don't save your guys' lives. You all save each other and help each other and bond with each other. What if what I'm doing with you right now is just to fill that lack of a work bond?"

Scooping food onto two plates while she rambled, Gibbs was able to finally turn off the stove. He turned around, ignoring the food for a moment, and eased his way over to Abby. Grabbing her by the shoulders he looked into her eyes, a thumb running soothingly over her cheek. "Abbs, you're saving so many people with the work you're doing. If we didn't have you in the lab, do you know how many people would have gotten away?" Gibbs smiled and pulled her into a hug so he could whisper in her ear. "Don't be silly, you've also saved nearly every single one of us from that lab of yours. Think back on all the cases. You've saved Tony's life maybe a hundred times." He chuckled a little.

The closeness of Gibbs, the rumble of his laugh, the smell of him- it all had Abby settling down and thinking straight. It was true, Tony had been in need of saving quite a few times and Abby had been the one to do it. She chuckled along with him and hugged him back. "I guess your right. I've just been stressing over needing to break away from the lab."

"Well, we need you there to back us up. You break away from it when you're here, with me." He pulled back to look into her eyes again. "Now can we eat before the food gets cold?" he asked.

Abby nodded and watched Gibbs step away to grab the plates from the counter. She followed him over to the small dinning table in the kitchen and sat to eat with him. She had to admit, the forced habit of cooking for himself turned Gibbs into a half-way decent cook. The good tasted good and made her feel a lot better. "You know, if we hurry up we'll have about an hour till work…" she looked up at Gibbs with a sexy smirk and wagged her eyebrows at him.


End file.
